Mail-box.



Nam 868,590.

G. A. WIRT.

MAIL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 31, 1907.

11: mamas PETERS 00., wasumarox, a c.

'PATENTED OCT. 15, 1907.

GEORGE A'. WIRT, OF GREENSBURG, INDIANA.

- MAIL-B OX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 15, 1907.

Original application filed September 17,1906, Serial No. 334,832.Divided and this application filed anuary 31 1907. Serial No. 355.097.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, G1; ones A. Wm'r, a citizen of the United States,residing at Greensburg, in the county of Decatur and State of Indiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Boxes, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that variety of mail boxes which are designedespecially for rural route service. Experience has demonstrated thatsuch boxes need to be provided with separate means for holding theincoming and outgoing mail, and also any money which may be deposited bythe patron for the purpose of purchasing postage stamps. Otherwise thelabor of the carrier is much increased, and the dangers of mistakes aremultiplied.

It is the object of'nry invention to provide a box having the facilitiesindicated, and in the use of which the least possible time need beemployed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof,and on which similar reference characters indicate similar parts, Figurel is a front elevation of a box of the character in question, aconsiderable portion of the cover being broken away to show the interiorand otherwise covered parts; Fig. 2 an end elevation; Figs. 3 and 4transverse sectional views as seen when looking in the directionindicated by the arrows from the dotted lines 3 5i and 4 4,respectively, in Fig. 1, and Fig. 5 a view otherwise similar to Fig. 4,but with the cover in its open position, and also illustrating theholding of mail by the spring shelf.

The box 10, as is common, should be secured upon a post or othersuitable support 11, and the cover 12 is secured thereto by suitablehinges, as 13. As illustrated by Fig. 5 the form of the lower rearportion 14 of the cover (and of the adjacent portion 15 of the box) issuch that when the cover is raised just sufficiently to expose thereceiving opening in the side of the box it will come in contact withsaid adjacent portion of the box, and its iurther movement be thusprevented. The cover is provided with a weight 16 which passes beyondthe hinge center so as to hold the cover to its open position by its owngravity when raised. Upon the front edge of the box is a projection 17,against which a flange 18 of the cover rests when the box is closed, andthrough these two parts are perforations to receive a lock by means ofwhich the box may be locked when desired.

The main chamber of the box is intended for the reception of incomingmail; The carrier in delivering such mail simply unlocks and opens thebox and deposits the mail therein. If there be outgoing mail to betaken, the carrier will find it supported upon the a movable coverspring shelf 21, which I have shown and prefer to make in the form of aU-shaped spring, bent to conform substantially to the adjacent wall ofthe box, and havingcoils 22 near its end by which it is given greaterresiliency, the extreme ends entering sockets 23 provided for thepurpose and secured to the back wall of the box or chamber, while themiddle forms a handle-bar which the user can easily grasp. in bendingdown the shelf.

to insert or withdraw mail. The patron who may have outgoing mail willopen the box and place it upon this spring shelf, from which, as will bereadily seen, the carrier may take it quickly and easily, without in anyway interfering with the incoming mail which he has to deposit. In otherwords, he may first throw the incoming mail into the main receptacle,and then immediately, with the same hand, take the outgoing mail fromthe spring shelf.

It also frequently happens that the patron desires to deposit a smallsum of money for the purchase of postage stamps to be afiixed to theoutgoing mail. I have designed a very convenient means for receiving andholding such money in easy reach of the mail carrier.

The means in question consists of a pivoted counterbalanced tray 25,which is suspended to the roof of the box by means of pivots 26 andbearings therefor 27.

The weight portion of this counterbalanced tray is suificiently heavierthan the receptacle portion so that when the mail box is in position itwill keep the tray closed by causing it to rest against the roof of thereceptacle. When, however, the coins are to be removed from said tray itis done by the carrier simply reaching his hand in far enough to pushthe weight portion of the tray upwardly, which will tip the front orreceptacle portion downwardly and the coins will immediately slide offinto the carriers hand. As will be seen, therefore, I have provided amail-box in which the incoming and the outgoing mail and the postagemoney may all be kept separate, and may be handled with the utmostrapidity.

This application is a division of an application of my pendingapplication, Serial No. 334,832, filed September 17, 1906, wherein theparticular construction of the box and its cover is claimed.-

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

'1. The combination, in a mail box, of a main receptacle, inclosing saidreceptacle, a pivoted counterbalanced tray suspended from the roof ofsaid receptacle, the receiving portion of said tray being in front ofits suspending pivot and its weight-extension extending to the rear ofsaid pivot in position to be pushed upon by the hand of the operatorsimultaneously with placing said hand in position to receive thecontents of the tray.

2. A mail box having a main receptacle and a counter balanced traypivotally secured therein beneath the upper part of the box so that itsmouth normally bears against and is closed by that part.

3. A mail box having a main receptacle and a counterbalanced traypivotally secured therein beneath the upper part of the box so that itsmouth normally bears against and is closed by that part, thecounterbalance of the tray being extended downwardly lower than the baseof the tray and accessible from the receiving opening of thereceptacle.-

In witness whereof, I, have hereunto set my hand and 15 seal atIndianapolis, Indiana, this 12th day of January, A. D. one thousand ninehundred and seven:

